Report to:  General
Committee                                                     Report
Date: January
4, 2007

SUBJECT:                          Memorandum
of Understanding with Markham
Stouffville Hospital
re Cornell Community Centre/Health and Wellness Centre

PREPARED BY:               Catherine
M. Conrad, Town Solicitor, Ext 4737

RECOMMENDATION:

That the report
entitled “Memorandum of Understanding with Markham Stouffville Hospital
re Cornell Community Centre/Health and Wellness Centre” be received;

And that the
Mayor and Clerk be authorized to execute a Memorandum of Understanding with
Markham Stouffville Hospital with respect to land acquisition, design,
construction and operating arrangements for the Town’s future East
Markham Community Centre and Library and the Hospital’s proposed Health
and Wellness facility, on a joint development site, in a form satisfactory to
the Chief Administrative Officer and the Town Solicitor

And that Staff be
authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to this
resolution.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Not applicable

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

None.

1. Purpose                     2. Background                      3. Discussion                        4. Financial

5. Others
(Environmental, Accessibility, Engage 21st, Affected Units)             6. Attachment(s)

PURPOSE:

The purpose of
this report is to obtain authority for the Town officials to execute a
Memorandum of Understanding with Markham
Stouffville Hospital
with respect to land acquisition, design, construction and operating
arrangement for the future East Markham Community Centre and Library and the
Hospital’s Health and Wellness facility on a joint development site in
Cornell.

BACKGROUND:

On June 14, 2005, Council
endorsed the concept of the Markham
Stouffville Hospital
(the “Hospital”) and the Town developing an integrated facility
incorporating the Town’s future East Markham Community Centre and Library
complex (the “CCL”) with the Hospital’s proposed Health and
Wellness Facility (the “HWF”).

On June 12, 2006, Council
authorized the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Hospital and
Markham District Energy Inc., with
respect to the evaluation of the technical and commercial benefits of the
supply of district heating and cooling to the Markham Stouffville
Hospital campus,
including the proposed East Markham Community Centre and Library.

OPTIONS/ DISCUSSION:

The Town and the
Hospital have established a Steering Committee which meets regularly and which has
developed a series of principles which guide each of the Town and the Hospital
in their pursuit of an integrated complex comprising a Community Centre,
Library and Wellness Centre.  While
the Town’s timelines for delivery of the East Markham Community Centre
and Library is well in advance of the Hospital’s timelines, staff of the
Town and the Hospital are proceeding apace to acquire the necessary lands to
deliver the “Site” where all of the facilities will be located.

The principles
guiding the Steering Committee and the parties have been incorporated into a
Memorandum of Understanding.  The
principles include:

Both Markham
and the Hospital will acquire parcels of land on which the facilities will
be located.  Where necessary,
parcels will be exchanged at agreed upon values, to ensure that the
boundaries of the parcels reflect the final site plans.  Any such land acquisitions by the
Town will be the subject of separate reports to Council.

Both Markham
and the Hospital will participate in the site planning process.

Each of the facilities, the Community Centre/Library and the
Wellness Centre, will be capable of being independently designed and
constructed, but will be planned to be integrated into a single complex of
buildings.

The facilities will be designed with common terms of reference.

The Community Centre and Library will be designed, to the
extent possible, to provide the Hospital and the Wellness Centre with the
opportunity for exclusive or shared use of services, for instance, a
medical library, open 24/7.

Each party is responsible for their own costs of planning,
design, construction, etc.

Where the Hospital shares services within the Community Centre
or Library, the parties will enter into an agreement with respect to
sharing capital, operating, design and construction costs.

The parties intend to provide a parking structure for shared
use by both parties, acknowledging that the Town’s facility may
precede the construction of the parking structure and therefore require
surface or other parking to be available upon commencement of the
Community Centre/Library’s operations.

The parties agree to consider an environmentally friendly
building approach.

The parties agree to work with MDEI to evaluate its ability to
provide cost effective energy services to the facilities.

It is
staff’s recommendation that the parties’ intentions be formalized
through the MOU, although the parties acknowledge that the MOU may require
amendment as the plans proceed further.

FINANCIAL
TEMPLATE: (external link)

N/A.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS:

The Town and
Hospital acknowledge the opportunity for environmentally friendly building
design, energy consumption and product procurement in the development of the
Facility.

ACCESSIBILITY CONSIDERATIONS:

The facilities
will be designed with regard to ensuring accessibility for its users.

ENGAGE 21ST CONSIDERATIONS:

This project
aligns with the following key Town of Markham
Corporate Goals: Infrastructure Management, Quality
Community and Environmental Focus.

BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:

The Strategic
Initiatives Department and the Community and Fire Services Commission were
consulted in the preparation of this report.

RECOMMENDED

BY:    ________________________          ________________________

Catherine M. Conrad                          John
Livey

Town
Solicitor                                    Chief
Administrative Officer

ATTACHMENTS:

N/A.